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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Woman Critically Hurt While Saving Kids From Fire Gives Birth

Compiled From Wire Services

A 30-year-old woman critically burned while saving her three children from an apartment fire gave birth to another child Tuesday while lying unconscious in a hospital.

Nina Davis of Hunters Point, Calif., in extremely critical condition in the intensive care ward at San Francisco General Hospital with burns over 40 percent of her body, was unaware of the birth - or of San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan’s plans to honor her heroism.”She’s being totally supported in our intensive care unit,” said burn specialist Dr. Philip Trabulsy. “Her lungs were seriously damaged and a ventilator does her breathing for her. She is essentially in a dream state.”

The child, a boy, was delivered by Caesarean section around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Named Baby Doe for the moment, he was born almost two months prematurely and weighs less than 2-1/2 pounds, doctors said.

Davis was apparently trying to relight the water heater in her apartment when it exploded at 4 p.m. Saturday, spreading fire throughout the room.

Firefighters said she rushed her three children to a window of the third-floor apartment and screamed until she attracted the attention of Frank Holmon, 38, a neighbor who was passing by.

Holmon yelled for the woman to drop her children to him. She complied while trying to shield them from the encroaching flames.